The present invention relates to a support device for the support of medical equipment, and to methods of use for the support device.
Space is a commodity. This has never been truer for medical environments, where desks are cluttered, offices are cramped, and floor space is scant. Specifically in radiology suites, once the patient table, chairs, cabinets, and various large equipment such as a scanner is placed in the room, there is little room for the patients, radiologists, and doctors to move around. Despite the fact that floor space is scarce, ceiling space and wall space is often abundant. As a result, many firms have produced a variety of different structures to support medical equipment that are capable of connecting to a ceiling or wall.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,268, filed on Jun. 29, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, provides a ceiling mount having two vertical supports, one for a microscope and the other for a control system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,468, filed on Mar. 27, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, provides an apparatus for supporting a service column from a ceiling.
It is not necessary, however, to mount these support devices on a ceiling, as walls are often preferable. In general, there is a tradeoff between wall and ceiling mounted support devices. Ceiling mounted devices are more difficult to service, repair and adjust, whereas wall mounted devices are more likely to obstruct a person moving around the room. A wall mounted support device is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,389, filed on Nov. 17, 1982, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In medical institutions and radiology suites, one of the most common pieces of medical equipment that is hung from a support device is an injector head, similar to the injector head disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,858, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. An injector delivers fluid to a patient, and injectors are used in a wide variety of medical procedures. To save space in hospital rooms, operating rooms, and radiology suites, many medical institutions use support devices that can either be wall or ceiling mounted to suspend injector heads.
Furthermore, these support devices can be either electronically controlled or manually controlled. For example, the position of the support device disclosed in previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,468 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,268 is controlled electronically by a control system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,577, filed on Dec. 15, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, on the other hand, discloses a manually controlled articulated support arm to support a computer monitor.
In terms of supporting medical equipment, there are several factors to take into consideration. First of all, the support device must be able to adequately support the load of the medical equipment that the device intends to support. For an injector, a typical piece of medical equipment, the standard load is generally in the range of 10 to 50 pounds. The support device must not only be able to adequately support the device, but must also be able to withstand the rigors of everyday use while bearing such a load. For example, the support device must not be susceptible to vertical, horizontal, or torsional force if the support device is inadvertently bumped or moved while bearing the medical equipment.
Furthermore, the support device must be able to freely move the piece of medical equipment to a position in which it will not interfere with standard operation in the room if the medical equipment is not to be used. In addition, the support device must be able to move the piece of equipment to a position in which the piece of medical equipment can be efficiently utilized without the support device interfering with the medical procedure.
The support device must also provide relatively stable placement of the medical equipment once it is moved into desired position.
Yet another consideration is control. There is generally a tradeoff between manual and electronic control of the support device. Electronic control of the support device typically results in more accurate placement of the support device, while manual control of the support device is typically more time-efficient.
As of yet, these issues have not been completely met by the prior art. Mavig's Counterpoise Systems Installation and Service Manual, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses standard medical equipment bearing support device. The device is a manually controlled support device that has an adjustable ceiling mount along with a system of three support arms. While this device is clearly a step in the right direction, all of the aforementioned issues have not yet been met by the current technology.
In fact, one of the most significant obstacles to overcome in designing an effective support device is the question of durability. Specifically with regard to many manual support devices, there is a high rate of failure of the devices after only a short period. In general, many of these devices simply cannot withstand the rigors of everyday use as the joints of the support devices regularly falter.
Finally, but not any less significantly, these devices are difficult to install and operate. In many cases, it requires multiple people to effectively install a support device. With the medical industry overworked and understaffed as it is, ease of use is a priority for all modern support devices.
Clearly the current technology for supporting medical equipment through the use of a support device in medical procedures imposes undue costs, and promotes inefficiency in medical institutions with regard to medical procedures.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for new apparatuses, systems, and methods, for supporting medical equipment through the use of a support device in medical procedures.